Language Information

Fijian is the indigenous language of newly independent Fiji in the central Pacific Ocean. It is spoken by about 300,000 people, or about 40 percent of the population. Fijian is one of the Melanesian languages, which form a subgroup of the Malayo-Polynesian family. The alphabet lacks the letters h, x, and z, while the letters f j, and p appear only in foreign words. The letter b is pronounced mb, d is pronounced nd, g is ng as in "sing," and q is pronounced ng as in "finger." A line over a vowel lengthens its sound.

Family: Malayo-Polynesian (Austronesian)
Subgroup: Melanesian

Writing Sample

Translation

The time to catch mullet is in the very early morning before the sun appears. At that time the fish are asleep. While they are asleep they lie close together in large numbers, but when the sun becomes hot they disperse. When the evening draws in, they assemble again in the spot they visit, to go to sleep there.